


Stage Dominance

by Milady_Kora



Series: FE Trans Week 2020 [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Enemies to Confused Feelings to Lovers, Gen, Implied/Referenced Transmisia, M/M, Rivalry, Trans Male Characters, We deal with our feelings by projecting onto meaningless debates - the musical, no beta we die like Glenn
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:40:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,190
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25342603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Milady_Kora/pseuds/Milady_Kora
Summary: "Beyond the surface of rivalry, it’s pure jealousy, each of them envying the other for his success. Claude looks at Dimitri, at his broad shoulders and desperately wishes he could grow his hair out, too, without the risk of not passing anymore. Dimitri looks at Claude, at his beard, and hates how after years of testosterone, his skin is still soft and smooth and everything he doesn’t want it to be."Neither of them know the other is trans, so they project their feelings onto debates.
Relationships: Dimitri Alexandre Blaiddyd/Claude von Riegan
Series: FE Trans Week 2020 [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833865
Comments: 9
Kudos: 60
Collections: Fire Emblem Trans Week 2020!





	Stage Dominance

**Author's Note:**

> Given that it's the #fetransweek, I am going to highlight a different organisation every day working with and for trans people.  
> Today, please have a look at the [ Trevor Project ](https://www.thetrevorproject.org/)!

On the surface, Dimitri and Claude are rivals, each of them leading a successful debate committee in their respective university department. Dimitri studies Law, Claude studies International Relations, and their fellow students like to joke that the two are poster boys for their subjects. Dimitri is always polite and courteous and frankly, quite a nerd for legislature, Claude is always cheeky and bold and always, always knows more than he lets on.

Beyond the surface, however, it’s not just rivalry, but pure jealousy, each of them envying the other for his success. Claude looks at Dimitri, at his broad shoulders and desperately wishes he could grow his hair out, too, without the risk of not passing anymore. Dimitri looks at Claude, at his beard, and hates how after years of testosterone, his skin is still soft and smooth and everything he doesn’t want it to be.

It’s only after both teams are completely destroyed by the ever-dramatic opera students (nobody more surprised by their victory than their leader herself) that Claude and Dimitri speak with each other away from the stage for the first time.

* * *

“She’s certainly… impressive”, Dimitri mutters as he watches the opera students celebrate. They’re led by two stars (and divas), and when he sees how easily Edelgard and Dorothea interact and compliment each other, he finds himself longing for a similar companionship.

“Your Highness, fancy seeing you here!”

That was not the kind of company Dimitri wanted, and he does a poor job of hiding it.

“Come on, no need to be so upset.” Claude claps him on the arm, smiling as always, but something about his look is filled with a coldness that belies his carefully constructed image.

Claude seems to notice himself and tries to soften his gaze. He can’t show how much it stings to see Dimitri get everything without even trying, while he himself has to struggle every day. Nobody knows that the only reason Claude’s team is always on time for the debates is Claude’s need to check with the registration, to make sure they have his name down correctly, because even a decade after his transition, everyone still gets it wrong.

“I am not upset”, Dimitri says as Claude leans against the balcony back turned towards the stage.

“Of course not, your Highness.” Claude mocks a bow and secretly revels in how Dimitri is annoyed by the nickname he had ever since his team successfully argued that monarchies better than federal republics. Oh, how he wishes that he could do more to disrupt the other team away from the stage, but he’s too vulnerable, all it would take is one look at his records and everything about him would be exposed, and so harmless mockeries will just have to do for the time being.

There’s a moment of loaded silence. Dimitri’s wristwatch ticks away the seconds they spend here, each stealing glances at the other, each filled with sadness and envy and anger and frustration. It’s Dimitri who speaks first.

“What are you…”, he swallows, “what are your goals after you finish your bachelor?”

Dimitri doesn’t know why he asked, frankly, why he’s still here making polite conversation and small-talk with the man he despises. Truth be told, he doesn’t despise Claude. Not really. He envies him, yes, resents him for how easy he has it, how he never had to fight for being seen as who he is, never had to face the humiliation of being seen by the wrong people at the wrong time. But he also has to admit to himself that-

His thoughts are interrupted by Claude answering in a tone so serious Dimitri can’t tell if he is joking or not, and he needs a moment to remember his initial question.

“Eventually, world domination, but until then I think I’m going to keep a low profile and go for a master’s degree. You?”

Again, Claude enjoys driving Dimitri into a corner. He doesn’t see it as revenge, not really, just like it’s not really Dimitri’s fault for having his gender handed to him at birth, but if this little justice for himself doesn’t taste sweet, he doesn’t know what does.

Surprisingly enough, Dimitri chuckles softly. “I’m afraid I cannot let that happen. World domination is deeply concerning and illegitimate on several levels, my friend, and I’m sure you don’t need me to explain that to you.”

Claude’s tongue outspeeds his mind (something he usually doesn’t allow to happen), and so the familiar taunt leaves his lips before he can even register what he’s saying. “No, your Highness, I don’t. But what are you going to do about it – you’re not going to try and stop me, are you?”

Dimitri knows a challenge when he sees one, and usually, he’s wise enough to resist. This time, though, his body belies his instincts when he turns towards Claude, enjoying the height difference between them. “And what if I am?”  
Claude was about to reply, he had the response to the question he provoked laid out perfectly and it was begging to be said, to be released - but alas, Dimitri’s phone rang and he had to go and so they leave their little stalemate at that.

* * *

One month later, they meet again at the second-to-last competition before the winter break. They’re both prepared, as are their teams (being unprepared was never an option). Everyone gets a good laugh when they see that the Law department and the International Relations department cannot clash unless they make it to the very finals, so of course they do and in the five minutes they have for the last preparations, Dimitri tries (and succeeds) to talk Ashe down from being so nervous and Claude tries (and fails) to find out in advance what the topic will be.

As the teams sit down behind their desks, Dimitri busies himself with his notes and tries not to notice how Claude is staring at him. It’s… exposing and disarming in a way he has never really encountered, and he wishes he could just stare back at Claude without it becoming the talk of the town for the next month. He knows that in a way, their rivalry already is, but Dimitri definitely doesn’t want to hear any further rumours about himself.

The professor in charge of organising the competitions reads out the rules that everyone has already heard countless of times - about 6 times on this day alone, probably - so Claude allows his thoughts to wander for a moment. Today, Dimitri’s hair is pulled back into a ponytail and for a brief second, Claude admits to himself just how good Dimitri looks like this, how much the hairstyle and button-up shirt suit him and how Claude, for some reason, is glad Dimitri doesn’t have a beard because he just looks so much better without one, and then he returns to the present, to his team, to the task and to his spite.

Claude is definitely glad he doesn’t have any more time to think about it. And when the professor reads out the question, something inside his stomach drops.

“Should the gender marker on a person’s ID also include the birth sex?”

The question rushes through Dimitri’s head, and he whispers it again to himself with a quiet laugh. Perfect. Atrocious, to be honest. He looks at his team. They know him and they trust him just as much as he trusts them, so when Dimitri sees Dedue give him a brief nod from the corner of his eyes, he wordlessly stands up and leaves the stage.

It wouldn’t have even mattered which side they were assigned for the debate because he cannot and will not debate about this. And Dimitri is incredibly relieved to see his team wordlessly stand up and follow him. All of them, even Felix, who he thought for sure was going to stay for the confrontation.

Dimitri doesn’t care if they lost, doesn’t even think it’s a defeat if he’s honest, and surprisingly enough, Claude doesn’t seem to acknowledge this as a victory, if the confused and forlorn look on his face is any indication.

As soon as his team has caught up to him, Dimitri walks out of the room, the building, and doesn’t stop until they are finally outside.

* * *

Claude’s mind rushes with the possibilities of how whatever the hell just happened can be explained, and he frantically picks up one explanation after the other and looks at them, mindlessly tossing the discarded ones aside. He doesn’t understand. There are too many variables and not enough constants to solve what is going on, what lead to such a victory - to Dimitri leaving.

But he has to know.

And so he leaves the rest to Hilda, tells her to accept the prize and go party with the team and that he will catch up later and then he excuses himself and ducks into the crowd, moving quickly because he can’t miss out on that opportunity now, because for all the question marks that are crowding his vision, there’s also a distinct exclamation point somewhere and he has to seize it.

Claude is almost at the exit and his mind is spiralling and he is getting desperate when suddenly, he runs into someone and whoever it is mutters a polite “apologies” and the voice and the phrasing are all Claude needs to decipher who it is.

When Claude pulls Dimitri back, it takes the latter a moment to understand what just happened. Then, he sighs.  
“I came back because I forgot my jacket. But I suppose an explanation for my… earlier behaviour is in order.”

Dimitri doesn’t owe him an explanation, Claude thinks, but he isn’t going to say that because the fact that he isn’t entitled to an explanation does not mean he doesn’t want one.

A hand on Claude’s back, Dimitri navigates them away from the crowd and back up to the balcony where they were last time. None of that answers any of the questions buzzing through Claude’s mind. If anything, it leads to a few new additions to the swarm, with one standing out in particular.

There was no way Dimitri was able to feel Claude’s binder through the fabric just now, was there?

* * *

When they’re on the balcony, Dimitri takes a moment to get his thoughts together. He doesn’t know why he wants to do this, after almost three semesters of rivalry and the one singular short chat they had last month. And he’s not even sure if it’s a good idea.

But somehow, it feels like the right moment, and maybe that will stop all the jealousy and envy and all the other weird feelings that he notices all the time but has never acknowledged.

Dimitri licks his lips. “I… am aware that you were very eager to win this competition.”

Claude says nothing for once. Dimitri isn’t sure what that means.

He continues, allows himself to fall into the uncertainty. “Believe me, under any other circumstances, I would have stayed. But I couldn’t do it with this… this question”, and something in his voice reeks with disgust.

Claude still says nothing. He can’t figure out where that disgust places Dimitri. Is he friend or foe, enemy or ally or…?

Dimitri swallows, then chuckles quietly as his thoughts wander to their conversation last month, and Claude ignores the way Dimitri’s baritone voice makes him feel.

“The thing is…” Dimitri steels himself, forces his mouth to form the words he wants to say. “That question affects me on a personal level.” He looks briefly at Claude. “Do with this information whatever you will. I’m sure you knew already, anyways.”

Claude’s mind latches onto one specific possibility out of the hundreds of scenarios and explanations for the last ten minutes that it had constructed. He had dismissed it entirely at first, and even now, he can’t be certain.

“I’m afraid you’re gonna have to specify more than that, your Highness.”

The taunt was unintentional, involuntary, but it seems to help more than it hurts because Dimitri smiles and looks down at the slowly-emptying room.

“I’m trans”, he says. “I… wasn’t born the way you see me now.”

So this is it. Claude exhales and stands next to him, resting his hand on Dimitri’s shoulder.

“Me neither.”

The baffled way Dimitri looks at him is a victory for Claude on more levels than just one, but he doesn’t even register the victory as much as he registers Dimitri’s hand on his cheek and how warm they are.

“I always thought...”, he hears Dimitri murmur, “I always envied you for how easy you had it compared to me.”

Claude scoffs. “Like you would be one to talk, Majesty”, and then his fingers lightly brush over Dimitri’s arm and oh, the look on Dimitri’s face is worth a king’s ransom. It’s a look that speaks of bewilderment, of a battle fought and conquered, and the way Dimitri smiles sets something off in Claude, something strange and something he really likes, so he reaches up to whisper an invitation into Dimitri’s ear.

Yes, this competition was most certainly a victory.

**Author's Note:**

> Later, Dima can't tell what's more of a suprise: Claude being trans himself, or Claude not having figured out Dima is, too.
> 
> Hi, I also have a twitter where I scream about Fire Emblem, literature, history and minor existential crises! Come watch me at [ @MiladyKora ](https://twitter.com/MiladyKora).  
> "I WISH I had the time to make this into a slow burn but ah well, someday" I wrote over half a year ago and now, I have! Check out [Not Up For Debate](https://archiveofourown.org/works/28345281/chapters/69447636), a proper slowburn with the same premise! And this one has art, too!


End file.
